Tracey McKee

Panel 1 A figure lies on a lounger as a hot, orange sun sets, saying "The holiday's over." Panel 2 Now wheeling a suitcase towards a plane in warm eveniong light "It's nice to sit around in the sun reading all day." Panel 3 The plane rises amongst the clouds "But all good things must come to an end." Panel 4 The figure deplanes with the suitcase in drizzle "Coming home has its own pleasures." Panel 5 The rain is harder. The figure shelter under an umbrella and looks into a shop window containing a selection of books and a sign reading "New books for autumn!" Panel 6 The figure now sits at home by an open fire, happily reading a new book. The suitcase has not yet been unpacked.

My cartoon for the @theguardian.com books autumn reads special.

Why should I write better when a machine can do it for me? Because actually no one can do it for you, because your voice is unique among all the people on earth. Siri never petted a horse's neck. Alexa has never been ghosted by the captain of the football team. But you have lived, your heart is beating, you have suffered, and you have something important to say. It's a human's job, to use words, and whatever job you give to a machine, that part of your brain goes dark. Maybe it's worth it when it comes to remembering phone numbers and directions, but when that part of your brain that uses words goes dark, that's a vast area that's very close to your soul. Don't let some internet platform convince you that what you have to say and create isn't worthwhile. Words are the echo of your soul. Honing that echo matters.

this iconic advertising copywriter named Kathy Hepinstall Parks died over the weekend and I wanted to share something from her website I thought Bluesky would like

THREAD: v niche sport-based plea!

The N.U.T.S. (National Union of Track Statisticians) Athletics & Olympic Archive & Library will be evicted from its current premises in ten days, and urgently needs either a) a permanent home or b) temp storage.

Croydon area preferred but all offers welcome. (1/4)

Hey, as a librarian I need to tell you:

Our funding depends on usage.

So go ahead and check out that book even if you don't think you'll finish it. No one will know. Check out that DVD even though you might not like it. Get ambitious in your quest for knowledge.

Your regular reminder that librarians and statisticians are natural allies in the medical research ecosystem.

It’s legendary, but is our music scene out of tune? A pulse check on Glasgow’s grassroots venues

Glasgow’s nightlife is in the “worst state it has been in since 1979”.

That’s according to the man behind one of Scotland’s biggest gig promoters, PCL Presents. He also owns Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh, and Broadcast.

How to read a paper involving artificial intelligence (AI) by Paul Dijkstra et al

Reading a research paper that involves using AI in clinical settings?

This article has questions to help you critically appraise AI papers:
bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/4/1/...

Health research in England is grinding to a halt Wes Streeting, the UK health and social care secretary, announced in 2024 that “the NHS is broken” against a background of ballooning waiting lists, delays in disease detection, and reduced staff prod...

New comment piece by me & colleagues in @bmj.com on the using health data for research in UK

Processes are so complex and so slow now that less research is happening and we are wasting the enormous potential of the NHS to drive innovation

www.bmj.com/content/390/...

‘It feels an almost holy moment’: the beauty and magic of reading aloud to children Bedside reading is a quietly magical time, says author Horatio Clare, bridging the gulf between childhood and the adult world

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

The Misleading Panic over Misinformation People can’t agree on how to define misinformation and its related terms, making regulation nearly impossible. Instead, free expression serves as a better tool for discovering truth.

🧵 THREAD: Why the Cato Institute’s new paper on “misinformation panic” is dangerously wrong, and why it completely misunderstands the real crisis we face.
www.cato.org/policy-analy...

AI Killed My Job: Tech workers Tech workers at TikTok, Google, and across the industry share stories about how AI is changing, ruining, or replacing their jobs.

AI is being used to justify firing workers at major tech companies, leaving those that remain to pick up the pieces.

AI code is being shoveled into crucial Google products, replacing trainers at TikTok, and worse.

This, in tech workers' own words, is how AI is killing jobs in Silicon Valley.

Useful read. "The hope for AI enabled care rests on three flawed assumptions: universal digital access, algorithmic neutrality, and technological sufficiency." Issue highlighted around focus on individualised over population level prevention

I’m working with @glasgowbell.bsky.social this week and on my way to Paisley for a rally about proposed redundancies at UWS. If you’re staff or a student who’ll be there and want to chat - or if you want to catch up separately - give me a DM. You can be anonymous!

Cyber incident June 2025

Glasgow City Council is currently being impacted by a cyber incident which is disrupting a number of online services and which may have involved the theft of customer data.

Read more here: glasgow.gov.uk/serviceimpact

Librarians set to be removed from every Glasgow secondary school A principal librarian and a team of assistants would cover Glasgow's 30 secondary schools if council budget cuts are approved.

Y'all, this sucks

www.bbc.com/news/article...

“So many people tell us the same story — libraries and reading have been central to their lives, and who they are.”- Amina Shah

We were joined by Sir Ian Rankin @ianrankin1.bsky.social to launch our exhibition tonight, alongside National Librarian Amina Shah @aminatshah.bsky.social 🎉

Screenshot of a DM The National Library of Medicine (NLM) will undergo a “realignment” effective July 1. With 40% of staff positions eliminated, the remaining staff and services will focus on core library functions, including Collection Development and Health Data Standards (formerly Bibliographic Services). NCBI will continue operations but with reduced staff and services. Outreach will no longer be considered a core function. The Branch, which oversees NNLM, will be dissolved. NNLM will continue under the Office of Strategic Operations Traveling Exhibits and History Talks are suspended. Exhibits already on loan or scheduled will proceed, but no new programs or outreach initiatives will be offered. No new website curations will be created. MedlinePlus will be maintained as needed, but no new content will be developed.

Sharing this update provided to me directly about the state of NLM and the future of NNLM, traveling exhibits, and, somehow, MedlinePlus.

I am so worried for friends and colleagues, and I'm stuck on that, but it is hard to not want to scream WTF about a MedlinePlus with no new material.

#medlibs

PsyArxiv Paper with Title The experience of body image in people with psychosis and psychotic-like experiences: a co-produced mixed methods systematic review and narrative synthesis. and with AUTHORS Jenna McAllister, Alie Phiri, Tracey McKee, Kara Keddie, Leonie Richardson, Rebekah Carney, Dr Felicity Waite, Gill, Sophie Allan, Andrew Gumley, and Stephanie Allan

We've updated our systematic review of body image in psychosis following some beneficial peer review. Resubmitted!

Preprint updated as well - check it out if you are interested.

osf.io/preprints/ps...

Reading a scoping review ahead of journal club.

Once again, the numbers in their PRISMA flowchart diagram don't add up! This needs to be quadruple checked. If you have errors here, where else?

Well, in the description of the screening, they have left (author initials here) in the text.

Hmmm.

The Bell at a big discount We've got a new summer offer for you

Our mission in Glasgow: revive the tradition of boots-on-the ground local longform journalism, funded by readers.

We know people like to try before they buy so here's our special summer 50% discount offer: get your first three months of a Bell membership for just £1 per week - less than a pint.

We’re delighted to announce that we are now recruiting UK-wide!

If you've experienced psychosis and fears about relapse, we’d love to hear from you.

🔗 tinyurl.com/ckud5zsb to take part.
📧 forse_study@glasgow.ac.uk if you have any questions.

#MentalHealthResearch #Psychosis #ResearchStudy

Schematic overview of Core GRADE

Core GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach to rating certainty of evidence in intervention effects

This first article in a seven part series presents an overview of the essential elements of the GRADE approach that has proved useful in systematic reviews, health technology assessment reports, and clinical practice guidelines
www.bmj.com/content/389/...

Understanding and addressing factors affecting health outcomes: a study of lived experiences at University of Aberdeen on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Understanding and addressing factors affecting health outcomes: a study of lived experiences at University of Aberdeen , listed on FindAPhD.com

Funded PhD opportunity for qualitative work on health inequalities and factors affecting health outcomes at University of Aberdeen, in partnership with Aberdeen City Council
Please share!
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

How to read a paper involving artificial intelligence (AI) This paper guides readers through the critical appraisal of a paper that includes the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical settings for healthcare delivery. A brief introduction to the diff...

Our new paper!! Led by @drpauldijkstra.bsky.social with @jessrmorley.bsky.social and awesome medical student Yosra Mekki. #digitalhealth #medsky #episky

How to Read a Paper Involving AI.

bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/4/1/...

Well designed and properly executed randomised trials are considered the most reliable evidence on the benefits of healthcare interventions.

This update to the CONSORT guidelines includes new changes to the checklist
www.bmj.com/content/389/...

Found errors on one of their forest plots too! The X axis is mislabelled as SMD when it should read CVR. Also, the figures they have in the text don't match the forest plot. Makes for a very confusing read.

Reading yet another example of a systematic review where the numbers in the PRISMA flowchart don't add up!

Please PLEASE double check before you publish, as it looks very sloppy. Ask the Librarian on your review for help! (You have one, right?)

Great for my critical appraisal session though 🤭

A light blue diagram depicting the sea, with the water's surface at the top, and just below it is an outline of the Mary Rose, with the depth (12m, 40ft or 6.7 fathoms). There is a line showing the seabed, which takes a rapid dive into the vertical...

On the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, we thought we'd answer a question that's often asked,

"If they raised the Mary Rose, why not raise the Titanic?"

Allow our scaled diagram to explain...

The full report by the Tony Blair Institute is out, in which they detail how copyright should be "rebooted" in the AI age. It reads like a big tech lobbying document. I hope they will be asked serious questions at its launch in London today.

Some very brief highlights:

🧵 1/8

📣 Research Participants Needed 📣

We are looking for people who have experienced psychosis in Scotland to take part in our Fear of Recurrence study. Participants will be compensated for taking part.

Find out more and sign up at tinyurl.com/ckud5zsb

Reposts appreciated 🙌
#Psychosis #PsychSciSky